Birds die after visit to poisoned Stung Treng water hole

Several birds died after drinking from a deliberately-poisoned watering hole in Stung Treng’s Sesan district, the NGO Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity reported on Sunday.

The casualties included two crested serpent eagles, a red-billed blue magpie and a golden-fronted leafbird.

None were threatened species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

However, conservationists say hunting using poisoned water is a disturbing trend, with the Wildlife Conservation Society reporting three incidents last year.

“The poisoning was to catch birds to eat,” said Angkor Centre’s field conservation manager Oliver Gray-Read, who found the carcasses along with remains of more nearby after being alerted by locals earlier this month.

“The people who did the poisoning had been camping in the forest whilst illegally cutting trees.”

WCS technical adviser Alistair Mould identified the poison as carbofuran, an insecticide. “Animals can die from it in seconds,” said Mould.

Poisoned animals are not safe to eat and can poison people or endangered scavengers.

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